James Darren Death – James Darren, a teen idol who played a charismatic beach boy in the hit film “Gidget” alongside Sandra Dee, passed away on Monday at the age of 88. He was a major contributor to the craze for surfing that occurred in the 1960s.
Jim Moret, Darren’s son, told various news outlets that his father passed away peacefully in a hospital in Los Angeles.
The Hollywood Reporter was informed by Moret that Darren was supposed to undergo an aortic valve replacement, but he was unable to undergo the procedure due to his lack of strength. According to his son, who spoke to the entertainment trade, “I always thought he would pull through because he was so cool.” He was always a cool person.
Throughout his lengthy career, Darren has not only performed as an actor and singer, but he has also established a prosperous career behind the scenes as a television director. He has directed episodes of well-known series such as “Melrose Place” and “Best Friends 90210.” On the television police drama “T.J. Hooker,” which aired in the 1980s, he played the role of Officer Jim Corrigan.
But the role that he would be most remembered for by young moviegoers of the late 1950s was that of Moondoggie, the dark-haired surfer boy who appeared in the blockbuster film “Gidget,” which was released in 1959. During the course of the film, Dee played the role of the title character, a vivacious Southern Californian who visits the beach and eventually develops feelings for Moondoggie.
